How to Teach French Numbers 1–100 – A French Teacher’s Guide
French numbers are one of those topics that seem very easy at first. Students learn:
un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq… and everything seems to be going smoothly.
Then they get to 70. And 80. And 90.
French numbers don’t seem quite so simple anymore!
I’ve found that the key to teaching numbers successfully is to teach the patterns rather than asking students to memorize 100 individual numbers.
There are some numbers students simply need to learn, but there are also some very predictable patterns that make the system much easier once students understand them.
Here’s the order and approach I use when teaching French numbers 1–100 to beginners.
Start With 1–10
I begin with 1–10 because these are the building blocks students will use to construct many of the numbers that follow.
un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix
At this stage, I focus on two things: memorization and pronunciation.
Students need to be comfortable saying these numbers before we start building larger numbers from them.
I also don’t worry about having students memorize a complete 1–100 chart at this point.
I want them to understand that they’re going to be building numbers from patterns.
Then Teach 11–16 as a Group
I teach 11–16 as their own little group:
onze
douze
treize
quatorze
quinze
seize
These are numbers students simply need to learn.
Then we get to:
17 = dix-sept
18 = dix-huit
19 = dix-neuf
This is a great place to point out the pattern:
10 + 7 = 17
10 + 8 = 18
10 + 9 = 19
Students can now see that French starts becoming more predictable.
Teach the Tens as the Next Building Blocks
Once students know 1–19, I teach the tens:
20 – vingt
30 – trente
40 – quarante
50 – cinquante
60 – soixante
I don’t have students memorize every number from 20 to 60. Instead, I teach them how to build the numbers.
22 = vingt-deux
35 = trente-cinq
48 = quarante-huit
59 = cinquante-neuf
This is where students begin to realize that they don’t have to memorize 100 separate vocabulary words.
They need to know the building blocks and understand the pattern.
French Numbers 0 – 100 – PowerPoint Jeopardy Game
Don’t Forget the “Et Un” Numbers
There is one little pattern within 20–69 that I make sure students know:
21 = vingt et un
31 = trente et un
41 = quarante et un
51 = cinquante et un
61 = soixante et un
These are the numbers ending in 1 that use et un. I point out that this doesn’t continue with every number ending in one.
For example:
71 = soixante et onze
but:
81 = quatre-vingt-un
and:
91 = quatre-vingt-onze
That makes the later numbers easier to understand when we get there.
Spend Some Time on Pronunciation
I don’t treat numbers as purely a written exercise. Students need to be able to recognize and say numbers, and some of them can be challenging for English speakers. A few that I pay particular attention to are:
huit
neuf
vingt
quatre-vingts
I especially like giving students lots of listening and speaking practice with numbers because they will eventually need them for things like ages, prices, phone numbers, dates, addresses, and telling time.
Numbers are much more useful when students can actually understand them when someone says them.
Then Comes the Fun Part: 70–100
This is where I slow down. The French number system from 70–100 is the part that usually requires the most explanation and practice for beginners.
Instead of introducing these numbers as a completely new system, I show students how French is building on the numbers they already know.
70–79
French uses 60 + 10–19:
70 = soixante-dix
71 = soixante et onze
72 = soixante-douze
79 = soixante-dix-neuf
I actually like teaching students to think of 70 as:
60 + 10
Then:
71 = 60 + 11
72 = 60 + 12
and so on.
Once students see the pattern, 70–79 becomes much less intimidating.
80–89
Then we move to:
80 = quatre-vingts
I explain that this is literally:
4 × 20
Then:
81 = quatre-vingt-un
82 = quatre-vingt-deux
89 = quatre-vingt-neuf
This is where students need to notice an important spelling change.
quatre-vingts
has an s when it ends the number at 80.
But the s disappears when another number follows:
quatre-vingt-un
quatre-vingt-deux
This is something I practice repeatedly because students will often want to leave the s in place.
Then 90–99
Once students understand 80, I show them that 90 follows the same basic pattern:
90 = quatre-vingt-dix
That’s essentially:
80 + 10
Then:
91 = quatre-vingt-onze
92 = quatre-vingt-douze
99 = quatre-vingt-dix-neuf
Again, I emphasize the pattern rather than asking students to memorize every number individually.
If they know:
quatre-vingt
and they know dix through dix-neuf, they can build the numbers from 90–99.
Finish With 100
Finally: 100 = cent
At this point, students have a much better understanding of how the numbers from 1–100 fit together. That’s what I’m really looking for. I don’t want them to think:
“I have to memorize 100 numbers.”
I want them to think:
“I need to learn the basic numbers and understand how French combines them.”
I Don’t Give Students a Giant 1–100 Chart and Call It Done
A 1–100 chart can certainly be useful as a reference, but I don’t think looking at a chart is enough to teach French numbers.
A student may be able to look at:
87 → quatre-vingt-sept
and copy it correctly without actually understanding how the number is constructed.
That’s why I prefer to teach numbers in groups and patterns.
I want students to be able to hear:
quatre-vingt-sept
and understand what they’re hearing.
I also want them to be able to see:
quatre-vingt + sept
and construct the number themselves.
That’s a much more useful skill than simply memorizing a list.
Give Students Lots of Numbers to Hear and Say
Once I’ve taught the patterns, I give students plenty of opportunities to work with numbers out of order.
For example:
14 – 37 – 62 – 81 – 95 – 48 – 73
This is much better practice than always counting from 1 to 100.
I also like activities where students have to:
- identify a number they hear
- say a number in French
- match numerals with French words
- write numbers they hear
- convert French number words into numerals
- practice numbers with a partner
- work with prices, ages, dates, and other real-life numbers
The more varied the practice, the more confident students become.
French Numbers 0–50 – “Qui suis-je?” / French Numbers 51 – 100 – “Qui suis-je?”
Watch for These Common Problems
There are a few things I expect to see when students are learning French numbers.
Students try to memorize everything
I remind them that they don’t need to memorize 100 completely unrelated words.
They need to learn the basic numbers and understand the patterns.
Students forget “et” in the numbers that require it
21 = vingt et un
not simply vingt-un.
And the same pattern appears with 31, 41, 51, 61, and 71.
Students put “et” into 81
This is a common mistake.
We say:
quatre-vingt-un
not:
quatre-vingt-et-un
Students keep the S in quatre-vingts
At 80:
quatre-vingts
But:
quatre-vingt-un
The s disappears when another number follows.
Students struggle with 70, 80, and 90
This is usually a sign that they need more practice with the underlying patterns rather than simply another memorization exercise.
My Teaching Sequence for French Numbers 1–100
If I’m introducing French numbers to beginners, this is the sequence I like:
1. Numbers 1–10
Learn the basic numbers and focus on pronunciation.
2. Numbers 11–16
Learn these as individual vocabulary.
3. Numbers 17–19
Show students the 10 + 7, 10 + 8, and 10 + 9 pattern.
4. Numbers 20–60
Teach the tens and show students how to build the numbers in between.
5. The “et un” numbers
21, 31, 41, 51, and 61.
6. Numbers 70–79
Show students the 60 + 10–19 pattern.
7. Numbers 80–89
Teach quatre-vingts as 4 × 20 and explain the disappearing s.
8. Numbers 90–99
Build these from quatre-vingt + 10–19.
9. 100
Finish with cent.
Then I go back and practice the entire range, especially the numbers students find difficult.
Make French Numbers About More Than Counting
Once students have learned the numbers, I don’t want the lesson to end with counting from 1 to 100.
Numbers are everywhere in beginning French.
Students need them for:
l’âge
les prix
les dates
les numéros de téléphone
l’heure
les adresses
So once students have the basics, I start incorporating numbers into other activities.
If we’re talking about someone’s age, we use numbers.
If we’re practicing shopping vocabulary, we use prices.
If we’re learning dates, we use numbers.
This is when numbers start becoming something students use, rather than just another vocabulary list they had to memorize.
French Number Resources for Teachers
If you’re looking for ready-to-use resources to help your students learn and practice French numbers, I’ve created several materials that you can use in your beginner French classes.
French Numbers 0 – 100 – PowerPoint Jeopardy Game
French Numbers – Colors – Clothes – Battleship Games
And if you’d like to have your French number resources together in one place, I also have a French Numbers Bundle.
I created these resources to give students the repetition and practice they need to move beyond simply memorizing numbers and actually recognize and use them in French.
COMPLETE FRENCH CURRICULUM SEQUENCE
• French 1 Full Year Curriculum
• French 2 Full Year Curriculum
